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Work And Madness: Overworked Men And Fears Of Degeneration, 1860s-1910s, Amy Milne-Smith
Work And Madness: Overworked Men And Fears Of Degeneration, 1860s-1910s, Amy Milne-Smith
History Faculty Publications
The very things that provided a Victorian man’s status, his self worth, and his identity could also lead him to lose his mind. This paradox is at the heart of this essay. Men breaking down under the pressure of hard work was disruptive in a society that was dependent on that overwork. This idea preoccupied Victorians, who worried that the pace of modern life could lead to broken nerves, low spirits, nervous collapse, and even suicide. Both doctors and sufferers believed that overtaxing one’s brain could lead to a complete mental breakdown requiring institutionalization. As asylums filled up with incurable …